


Allowed

by ItsMirkwoodGirl



Series: I've got a jar of Prompts [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Fevers, M/M, Obi-Wan cares for his men, Sickfic, caretaker obi-wan, sick Clones, the clones deserve better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-15 01:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18064139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsMirkwoodGirl/pseuds/ItsMirkwoodGirl
Summary: Nobody ever told the clones that getting sick is no reason to get punished.





	Allowed

**Author's Note:**

> Another one of the jar-prompts today. It said: "Hey, Lotta, I bet the Kaminoans never told the clones that being sick isn't a thing to get punished for!"   
> I was so dang excited to write this - I have many, many MANY feelings about those bucket-heads, okay? Leave me be.  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this, and as always: Comments and critique are well appreciated.  
> Loads of love,  
> Lotta

Cody let out a long breath and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. His head was pounding, had been since he had gotten up this morning, he was feeling all fuzzy and cold, and he couldn’t concentrate on anything, and he really didn’t have any time for it… he was the 212th’s commander, and since their general was a self-destructive idiot Jedi who never knew when to get rest, he needed to be functional at all times… he had no time to get a stupid kriffing headache… a good clone didn’t get sick, a good clone was functional…

“Are you alright, Commander?”

Obi-Wan’s gentle accented voice was laced with concern. Cody’s eyes flew open and he straightened his back almost automatically.

“I’m fine, sir. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Are you sure?” Obi-Wan… looked just as concerned as he sounded, his brows furrowed and his head cocked to the side a little as he seemed to scan Cody’s face for… whatever. “You never call me _sir_ anymore… and you look tired.”

“I’m fine”, Cody repeated. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t want to be a bother.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “You’re no bother to me, Cody, or to anyone else around. I care deeply about you, I thought we already talked about that. And do forgive me if I do worry about you.”

Cody looked down at his feet. In the back of his mind, he could still hear everything that he had been told and taught as a shiny. _A good clone doesn’t get sick, a good clone is always functional, a good clone is obedient, a good clone doesn’t malfunction…_

“Cody?” A warm hand settled on his shoulder, and as he looked up again, his eyes met Obi-Wan’s, which were even more worried now.

“Cody, dearest, what’s wrong? You zoned out there for a bit…”

Cody wanted to answer, but before he could, his knees buckled and he fell – no, not quite, because Obi-Wan caught him, held him, pulled him back up and wrapped one arm around him so he wouldn’t fall again. “Let’s get you to the medical station”, Obi-Wan said. “Because after this, my dear, I definitely don’t believe you’re fine.”

Cody wanted to nod, wanted to agree, but instead he felt that he froze on the spot. _A good clone doesn’t get sick, a good clone isn’t…_

“Cody, what is it?” Obi-Wan moved until he could cup Cody’s face with one hand and still hold him upright with his other. There also was a warm tingly feeling that surrounded him, telling him that his general used the Force to help him stand.

Cody wet his lips, then took a deep breath. He needed to ask, he needed to know.

“Aren’t you going to kill me?”

“No! Cody, what the… why in the Force’s name would you think that?!”

Obi-Wan sounded horrified at that thought, and there was some hidden anger in his voice as well, almost impossible to hear. “Cody, didn’t they tell you on Kamino that you are allowed to get sick?”

Cody didn’t answer. He was – even though he knew that he didn’t need to be – afraid of answering. He knew that Obi-Wan would never hurt him or any other brother, but still… He closed his eyes, squeezed them shut in attempt to also shut out the voice in the back of his head... _A good clone is always functional, a good clone…_

“Cody, answer me, please. You’re scaring me.”

“I…” Cody swallowed again. “I know that we are… but… I am just… it’s in my mind…”

“They told you you’d be killed if you got sick?” The anger in Obi-Wan’s voice grew. “Is that what they threatened you with, death or reconditioning?”

Cody shuddered, but managed to nod.

Obi-Wan let out a long string of curses in several languages, then – somewhat surprisingly – wrapped his arms around Cody and pulled him into a hug. “Oh Cody, I am so sorry… If I had known that…”

“…t’s not your fault”, Cody mumbled.

“Still, I should have asked for things like that”, Obi-Wan answered. “Alright, now, I will not hurt you for this. You are allowed to feel down and to be sick, you’ll be given medication and anything you need to get better, you won’t die, you won’t be punished. Alright?”

Cody nodded. “I _know_ that… it’s just hard to shake it all off.”

“I understand.” Obi-Wan pulled back and put his arm around him supportively. “At least I think I do. To an extent. Now, let’s get you to medical, alright?”

This time, Cody nodded at the suggestion.

 

“Shots”, Obi-Wan called as they entered the medical station. Shots, a clone with a full ponytail of dark hair, the 212th’s medic, came around the corner of the room where they kept the bacta and other supplies.

“General”, he said, then he looked at Cody. “Oh kriff. He’s got it too?”

“Got what?”, Cody asked and let Shots and Obi-Wan help him into another room and onto a bed.

“Some bug that’s been going around the 212th barracks”, Shots answered, using a small scanning devise to check on his brother. “Cale and Trapper got it too. Fever, dizziness, headaches… we really can’t do much, we can only treat the symptoms… it’s nasty, but not life-threatening..” He paused, then looked down at his scanner. “Yes, just as I thought, you’ve caught it too, Commander. It would be for the best if you go back to the barracks. I already send the other two back there, too. General, I trust you will bring the Commander there safely?”

Obi-Wan nodded, helped Cody off the bed and wrapped one arm around him supportingly. “Is there anything else I can do to help?”

Shots pursed his lips. “I don’t know… they all just need to rest, and fluids and maybe a bit of company, so if you could stay with them, that would be good. I will come over to check on them every now and then, but I still have a few injured brothers here from the last mission…”

“It’s alright”, Obi-Wan said. “I don’t have anything else to do.”

Shots nodded, seemingly relieved. “Good. Thank you, that actually helps me a lot.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “I’m glad to help. Come on, Cody, off we go.”

And so they did.

 

Technically, the 212th had three sleeping rooms all to themselves, but usually they all squeezed into one, sharing bunks and everything. It was comforting to know that all of their brothers that were part of the battalion were close, that one only had to call a name to know where another one of them was. It was something none of them could explain, it was simply comforting and felt better than being in separate rooms. Now that some of them were in the medical section with Shots, the room they tended to occupy was almost empty, only Trapper and Cale were laying in two of the bunk beds, dressed in simple sleeping pants and shirts.

“Commander, you too?”, Cale asked as Obi-Wan and Cody entered. “General, you shouldn’t be here – you get sick way easier than us.”

“It’s fine, Cale”, Obi-Wan said calmly and helped Cody to get out of the few parts of armour he wore even when he wasn’t in battle. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that both his men were tensed up, just as Cody had done. They also had the same scared nervousness swirls around them in the Force.

“And before you ask, no, you will not be punished, it is not your fault that you’re sick.” Obi-Wan opened the zipper at the back of Cody’s blacks and then turned to give Cale and Trapper an open, gentle smile. “Despite whatever the Kaminoans told you, you won’t be killed or reconditioned for getting hurt or falling ill. You have nothing to fear.” He thought for a moment. “At least not like that. In my experience a flu can be something rather uncomfortable, but not scary either.”

He had to stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief as he saw and felt his men relax again. They had feared him, if just for a moment, and Cody – his beloved, wonderful Cody – had as well. It tore at Obi-Wan’s heart to feel this fear. It shouldn’t be there. He would do anything to get rid of it, once and for all.

“Thank you, Sir”, Cale said quietly. “But how did you…”

“I told him”, Cody said, tying the cord of his sleeping pants into a lose knot at the front. “Sort of, he’s clever enough to put the pieces together on his own.”

Cale and Trapper nodded to themselves.

“So… if we need anything, can we tell you?”, Trapper asked.

“Of course.” Obi-Wan wasn’t sure whether he had meant just right now or in general, so he added: “Anytime.”

“Thank you.” Trapper rolled on his side and used his arms as a pillow. Cale returned to lying on his back, and Cody settled down on a bunk as well. Obi-Wan sat down next to him. He pulled up one leg until he could prop his chin up on the knee, and took Cody’s hand in his.

“May I?”, he asked softly. Cody nodded, then closed his eyes. Obi-Wan did the same thing, and used the Force to examine just exactly how and what Cody felt. Cold, dizzy, and...

Obi-Wan opened his eyes, reached out and started massaging Cody’s forehead with the tips of two fingers. He had learned this trick from Bant, way back when he had been a Padawan, and Bant had learned it from Master Fisto when her nightmares of Tahl’s death had been accompanied by nasty headaches. Obi-Wan usually didn’t profit from it since the forehead massage usually didn’t help him with his own headaches, but it seemed to work on Cody, judging by the low groan and the small strands of relief that started threading though his Force signature.

Once Cody’s headache was reduced to a minimum, Obi-Wan offered the same help to Trapper and Cale, who – if hesitantly, very hesitantly – accepted it. Their headaches weren’t as bad as Cody’s had been, but Obi-Wan made sure to take just as much time as he felt like both men needed. He could still sense some hidden fear in them, and he was determined to show them that one, they were worth being helped, and two, he didn’t do this just because it was his duty.

The next few hours went by without anything worth mentioning happening. Obi-Wan stayed with his men, sitting on their beds, easing their pain as much as he could – not just headaches, but the muscle aches that came with the low fever they all sported as well – and overall just being there for them. After a while, Shots brought two more clones over to the barracks, Boil and Waxer, who had caught the same flu as the other three.

“Are you still up to take care of them, General?”, Shots asked as he guided Waxer over to a bunk.

“Yes, sure.” Obi-Wan went over to grab Boil and guide him over to the bunk next to Waxer’s. “I don’t mind, really.”

“I was just checking.” Shots nodded as if to emphasise his point. “I’ll be back in a bit. Just to see if anyone’s doing worse or better.”

“Alright.” Obi-Wan gave him a small smile that said _I’ve got it under control_.

And he did – he had, after all, dealt with a sick Anakin at various ages, and with a sick or injured Qui-Gon a few times, he would be fine, and so would be his men. He was sure of it.

 

The Force, or destiny, or some god must’ve hated him, Cody was absolutely sure of that when he awoke from a light slumber a few more hours later. His headache, which had been better already, had worsened, and when he opened his eyes and looked around the small room, everything seemed somewhat unreal and shimmery, his vision was blurred with heat.

“Hey.”

Obi-Wan. He was sitting next to Cody again, but this time, there was something on his lab.

“It’s alright, my love”, Obi-Wan said. “Are you thirsty?”

Cody nodded, and Obi-Wan put the… whatever it was he had had on his lab… aside and picked up a small steel bottle from the floor. With one hand, he lifted Cody’s head from the pillow, the other held the bottle as the soldier took a few small sips of water. It was heavenly cold and got rid of the weird dry feeling in his mouth.

“There, better?”, Obi-Wan asked eventually. “Best not to drink too much, or you’ll throw it back up again.” He ran his hand through Cody’s short dark hair. “How are you feeling, otherwise?”

Cody frowned. “Fuzzy… warm… no, not… it’s so hot…”

“I know. It’s the fever.” Obi-Wan smiled sadly, then picked up the thing he had been holding before. Now, Cody could see what it was: A small steel bowl with water in it.

“This will help”, Obi-Wan promised, wetting a piece of cloth in the bowl. “Close your eyes.”

Cody hesitated. Obi-Wan, who apparently knew exactly what the other man was thinking, sighed, but without any trace of exasperation or annoyance. “It’s alright, Cody. I already told you that being sick isn’t going to get you in trouble, it’s not your fault. Besides, you’ve taken care of me plenty of times. Allow me to return the favour and take care of you now.”

He started smoothing the cloth over Cody’s forehead, face and neck. It felt… _good_ , pleasantly cool against his fever-heated skin, and Cody closed his eyes. Soon, he drifted back to sleep, unaware that Obi-Wan used a small Force suggestion to help him with that.

The next time he woke up, Cody was sure that he’d been set on fire while being asleep. Everything was so hot and sweat-soaked… but also cold at the same time, in a way that shouldn’t be possible…

Cody turned his head, wincing as the small motion made him nauseous, and spotted Obi-Wan sitting on the bed on the other side of the room, draping a wet cloth over Waxer’s brow.

“It’s alright”, he whispered, squeezing the other man’s shoulder for a brief moment. “It will pass, I promise.”

“It’s so… so… it’s hot, Sir”, Waxer whimpered. Obi-Wan nodded. “I know, I’m so sorry… I can’t do much more. I already called Shots.”

In the bed next to Waxer, Boil made a small desperate noise, and Obi-Wan walked over to him, placed one hand on his cheek and changed the cloth on his forehead for a newly wetted one. Even in his own fevered state, Cody felt pride and admiration swell up inside as he watched his Jedi and how gentle and caring he was with the boys…

“Cody.” Obi-Wan looked up, only now noticing that the commander was awake. “Are you feeling any better?”

Cody shook his head. “Too warm… or cold…”

Obi-Wan pursed his lips. He looked as if he tried very hard not to curse. “All of your fevers have gone up. I’ve already called for Shots, but he’s still occupied with Wooley and his head injury…”

While he spoke, Obi-Wan wetted another cloth in his small bowl and placed it on Cody’s forehead. The cold didn’t feel as good this time, it seemed to dry on his skin way to fast, only bringing relief for the briefest moment.

“I really can’t do much”, Obi-Wan continued. “I am no trained healer, and using too much Force healing on you wouldn’t end well, I’m afraid…”

“N-no… no.” Cody needed to take a breath. “You, you’re doing alright.”

Obi-Wan smiled half-heartedly. “I wish I could do more than put wet cloths on heated faces… Here, sit up a bit, you need to drink something…”

 

Cody did not know how much time it took until Shots came to help, time had long turned into a heated blur, but at some point, something cold was being pressed against his neck and a needle stung for the briefest moment, and only moments after, everything turned to darkness. When he woke up, he felt less as if he had just been thrown into a lava river on Mustafar and more as if someone had left the heating on for a bit too long. His headache was still there, though fading, something Cody was very thankful for.

“Good morning”, a tired, accented voice said next to him. Cody sat up and saw Obi-Wan sit at the other side of the bunk, knees drawn close to his chest and a datapad in hands. He looked exhausted, but not terribly so; the relief on his face was stronger.

Cody looked around the small room, and saw that the others were all sound asleep. But there was something different about them – they looked a bit more relaxed, a little less tensed up.

“All your fevers went back to a normal temperature”, Obi-Wan said. “And we send word to all the other generals to tell their men the same thing I told you.”

“That’s good.” Cody sat up a bit straighter, leaning forward to look at Obi-Wan a bit more closely. Now as he did, he noticed a glossy shimmer in his eyes, as well as the slight flush of his cheeks. “Though I am afraid that we might have infected you…”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and groaned. “Of course you have… that is just my luck. I wonder if there’s ever going to be a time that I will not catch whatever sickness is just flying around.”

Cody chuckled. “Well, on the bright side, we all are probably glad to take care of you.”

Obi-Wan looked at him with a tortured expression on his face. “I’m not sure whether that is actually a good thing.”


End file.
